Trading Paint: 3M Performance 400 picks

AP PhotoJeff Gordon doesn't have a victory this season. One panelist believes he'll be in Victory Lane at MIS on Sunday.

Welcome to Trading Paint, a weekly entry where a statewide panel of four auto racing "experts" will make picks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup races. This week: Sunday's 3M Performance 400 in Brooklyn.

The rules are simple:
1. A panelist can't pick the same driver in back-to-back weeks.
2. Standings will be calculated each week based on the actual points earned by the drivers each panelist picks to win.

After 22 races, the standings are as follows, with their pick of last week's winner in parentheses:

Jeff Bleiler -- Jackson Citizen Patriot
Welcome back, NASCAR. Just to update you on a few things since you last visited, this isn't like the Augusts of years past in Michigan when 90-plus-degree days were the norm and the grass was all brown and dry. It's actually been quite pleasant in these parts, so make adjustments. As for me, I'm fine, just having some minor issues when it comes to picking winners and such every now and then. Nothing I can't handle, without a little help from you.

So let's do this.

• Winner -- Jeff Gordon. Like in June when Dale Earnhardt Jr. ended a spell of winless races, Gordon comes to MIS with nary a win to his record this season. Usually at this time, he's had several and he may still get several before the year is up. But it has to start somewhere, and that somewhere is here.

• Sleeper -- Roush Fenway drivers. Pick one, any one, and they've got a shot at winning here. Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth are the more likely ones to chalk up a win -- with Kenseth needing one worse than Edwards -- but even guys such as Greg Biffle and David Ragan can't be counted out this weekend.

• No chance -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. He won in the June with the help of some nifty driving under caution in the late going. Some would call it cheating, but whatever. The real point is that MIS does not give up many repeat winners in a season, none since 1995 in fact, and there's not much reason to suspect one will happen this weekend.

Steve Kaminski -- The Grand Rapids Press
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to Michigan International Speedway this weekend, and I find myself in a poetic mood.

The Trading Paint Haiku returns this week. If you recall, a Haiku is written in three lines, consisting of five, seven and five syllables, respectively.

This week's poem is titled, Ode To JAM (Jeff, Antoine, Mike):

Bleiler, Pryson, Pits.
You guys aren't even trying.
Just quit right now. Bye.

• Winner -- Carl Edwards. He has regained the touch he demonstrated in the season's first two months. It's another win for Jack Roush at Michigan.

• Sleeper -- Brian Vickers. He has four top-10 finishes at MIS in nine starts.

• No chance -- Clint Bowyer. His Chase hopes will continue to fade.

Antoine Pitts -- The Ann Arbor News
Good to be back at MIS for some home cooking. With the Detroit Tigers really out of contention now, there ought to be tons of local attention on this race this weekend. I want them all to be looking at me in Victory Lane.

• Winner -- Kyle Busch. Kurt has won a Cup race at MIS, but Kyle hasn't.
That changes this weekend.

• .Sleeper Matt Kenseth. He needs a good race to maintain that 12th spot in the Chase.

Mike Pryson -- Jackson Citizen Patriot
The boys are back at Michigan this week, home of four-wide racing and always the threat of a fuel-mileage test.

There are several drivers in the Sprint Cup Series still seeking their first win this season, including Jeff Gordon. Gordon's teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. won a fuel-mileage race in June.

Kyle Busch is the likely driver to beat again this week. He's won just about everywhere else, but I say the Busch magic comes up short Sunday.

Let's see if we can out-think Mr. Kaminski this week.

• Winner -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. This time he wins with no questions asked about fuel mileage. He's still got Hendrick Motorsports power, and with four races until the Chase, it's time for Little E to show the field he can win the whole thing. Michigan is usually a Roush Fenway track, but not this time.

• Sleeper -- Ryan Newman. Remember back in February when Newman won at
Daytona? It's almost hard to believe, it was so long ago. Well, Newman has always been fast at MIS, and after announcing his deal to run alongside Tony Stewart in 2009, he might just want to show his current boss (Roger Penske) that he's still got something left.

• No chance -- Juan Pablo Montoya. It's almost sad to see this incredible
racing talent still struggling to run up front on the big ovals. He was a joy to watch when he ran open-wheel at Michigan. It's looking more and more like the open-wheel invasion of the last few years produced little more than a curiosity factor.